


Tricked (Oops Maybe Not)

by nightescapade (orphan_account)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Age Switch, Flirty Kyungsoo, Fluff, Gym Setting, M/M, Muscular Jongin, Romance, age gap, failed comedy, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 03:19:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12123387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/nightescapade
Summary: While everyone is busy with their bodybuilding agenda, Kyungsoo is busy ogling at a certain certified gym enthusiast.





	Tricked (Oops Maybe Not)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lovetelit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovetelit/gifts).



> First of all thank you to my friends who cheered me up when I was down. Thank you for pushing me to finish this fic. I’m very thankful I have you guys throughout this journey. Shoutout to A who beta-ed my fic. I owe it to you. You’re a blessing because if not for you, this fic won’t be like this. Thank you for everything really. Then to E and R, thank you for listening to my rants and ramblings. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be able to finish this. I’m crying so hard. Finally! This is it! Enjoy!

 

Kyungsoo is too nice to be Chanyeol’s best friend. But he’s really nice, that’s it. Or maybe not.

The door opens and Chanyeol greets him with a big smile on his face. “Kyungsoo!”

“Just when I was about to stop bringing you food?” He sighs and steps inside his bestfriend’s unit and kicks a can of beer littered on the floor.

“Oh, thanks!” Chanyeol grabs the plastic bag Kyungsoo holds and kicks the can of beer flying towards the living room. 

Kyungsoo gives him a stink eye and sighs as he follows Chanyeol to the kitchen. “Just when will I stop bringing you food and cleaning your trashy apartment?” 

“When I get a girlfriend,” Chanyeol says. His face brightens up when he opens the box of breakfast Kyungsoo made for him.

Kyungsoo grabs a broom and a dustpan to start sweeping the garbage on the kitchen floor. “Can you please get a girlfriend soon, because I’m tired of cleaning and cooking your food.”

“As if you’re tired. Because if you are, you would have stopped a long time ago.” The taller guy starts wolfing down the bibimbap and when Kyungsoo casts him a look right after throwing the trash to the bin, he gives his best friend a scrunched up face.

“How old are you?” he asks, serious.

“What kind of question is that?” Chanyeol manages to get out despite having a mouth full of food.

“So how old?”

“Twenty-three?”

“And yet you eat like five.” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, hands on his waist.

“I know, that’s why I really need a girlfriend.”

“Exactly,” Kyungsoo returns the broom and dustpan to their respective storage locations before sitting across from Chanyeol.

“My brother visited me last night.”

Chanyeol grabs the pitcher of water and pours himself some. “How’s Seungsoo hyung?”

“He’s doing great. Even flaunted his abs to me the whole night,” Kyungsoo licks his dried lips. “It’s actually annoying.”

“As a police officer, he should really maintain a fit body. That’s cool of him,” Chanyeol drinks his water and puts the glass on the table with a thud.

“Everyone thinks people with abs are cool.” Kyungsoo is not impressed.

“Speaking of abs,” Chanyeol has a playful smile playing on his lips. “Guess what?”

“I’m not going to guess.”

Chanyeol pouts, but continues. “The others and I signed up for gym sessions starting next week.”

“Cool,” Kyungsoo yawns. He looks up to his clock only to find out it’s 7am. He sighs. He woke up earlier than usual to make Chanyeol breakfast.

“You should join us!” The man invites excitedly.

Kyungsoo raises a brow. “Excuses me? No way. I’m out.”

“Oh come on, Soo. You need to do some stretching too rather than stuffing yourself with food all the time.”

Kyungsoo frowns at him. “As if that would change my mind. Really Chanyeol, I don’t like sweating. I thought you already knew that?”

“Just trying if I can convince you this time.” Chanyeol points the fork at him.

“Well, sorry to break your heart, but I’d have to say no. That’s the automatic response, capital no. End of conversation. I’m going.” He gets up but gets followed by Chanyeol to the front door.

“Looks like I really can’t convince you, but thanks for the breakfast,” Chanyeol smiles and Kyungsoo nods at him.

“Go get a girlfriend soon,” he says before stepping out of the door and making his way towards the elevator. Chanyeol is still waving behind him and telling him to take care and to bring him breakfast again the next day.

Sometimes Kyungsoo wonders why he’s best friends with Chanyeol.

 

 

-

 

 

After babysitting the big baby Park Chanyeol, he went straight to the supermarket next to do his weekly grocery.

Grocery shopping is one of the things he loves doing. The liberty to buy anything he likes to his heart's content makes him excited every time he arrives in a grocery store. Pulling out a huge cart and the folded paper of the list of things he needs to purchase from his jeans pocket, he pushes the cart towards the beverage section to get packets of instant coffee and juice. He then goes to take condiments, pasta for kimchi spaghetti, some sauce to make carbonara, and then proceeds to the meat section to get a kilo of beef, fish, shrimps, and veggies. His cart gets full real quick and he’s happy. He doesn't mind how much it would all cost. For him, nothing is expensive when it comes to food. As long as his tummy is full and satisfied, it’s more than okay.

Done getting all the food he needs, the last products he has to get are soaps, detergent, and shampoos. On the way to their sections, he stops midway. There he notices a tall man from the beverages section wearing a sleeveless tank top revealing his drool-worthy biceps. Pulling the cart a little to hide himself and to watch the man in secret, the man pulls out an energy drink. His back is facing Kyungsoo and he’s trying hard to take a glimpse of the man who, in his opinion, has the most beautiful lean body he had seen that month.

The guy is even wearing ripped jeans that hugged his thighs perfectly, but what Kyungsoo focuses on most is the man's biceps and his angular jaw. His skin is tanned and for Kyungsoo tanned skin looks sexier.

The man picks up another energy drink with his left hand and scans the details on the can like what he did on the other. Juggling the cans on his hands like a pro, perhaps he’s really a pro, Kyungsoo finds himself biting the nail of his forefinger as he watches the man in admiration.

His biceps flex as he moves his arms, but when he stops, he returns the red can on the fridge and turns his body unexpectedly towards the right where Kyungsoo is. The man doesn't just own a marvelous body, but also a beautiful smile that stretched his lips. His hair is black and fluffy and his eyes...

When the man lifts up his head and crosses Kyungsoo, their eyes meet for a split second. Kyungsoo freezes for a second, but looks away as quickly as possible to hide the suffusing red on his cheeks.

He snaps out from his trance to his relief, and proceeds to get the things he needs.

“What the fuck just happened?”

 

 

-

 

 

Donned in all black, he finds himself outside of his apartment building. It’s seven in the morning. A drip of sweat already rolls down his temple after taking the stairs. His phone vibrates from his pocket again, knowing that it must be Chanyeol, pestering him to come quick. Rounding up the corner to get his bicycle, a small orange kitten purrs at him as it hides behind the bush.

As a cat lover, Kyungsoo's heart wrenches from the poor sight of the kitten, dirtied and malnourished.

Instead of unlocking his bicycle to speed up to Chanyeol's place, he picks up the kitten first carefully and juts his lower lip sympathetically.

"Poor kitty," he coos. "Where is your Mommy?" He cradles the ball of fur in his open palm and decides to ditch Chanyeol for the day. The boy can live anyway without his help. Besides, if he's that famished, he could just get a take out from somewhere.

"I'm going to adopt you, kitty." A fond smile plasters his lips. He abandons the thought of Chanyeol as he focuses his attention to the stray kitty. "I'm going to name you, Yoochoo."

A giggle flies past his lips as he pets the kitten's head carefully with his forefinger. Yoochoo purrs and curls into a ball on his palm. Kyungsoo keeps on biting his lips to suppress his screams from the cuteness of his new pet while his phone vibrates several times, a warning sign from Chanyeol, but he’s not in the mood to go anymore as the kitten on his hand is far more important than the growling of his friend's stomach. So he treads back to the building.

Yet, he answers the call.

 _"Are you on your way?"_ An unusual, loud rock music booms from the other line that has Kyungsoo pulling out his phone away from his ear.

"Tone down the music, Yeol! I can't hear you clearly--"

Oof.

_"There. Can you hear me now? Are you on your way? I'm very hungry and Sehun is on his way here and he wants some kimchi spaghetti. Soo?"_

"Yah! Be careful! You almost had me dropping Yoochoo!"

_"Soo? What the fuck? Who is Yoochoo? Yah! Where on earth are you? You okay? Did you fall from your bicycle?? Kyungsoo answer me!"_

Frantic calls of Chanyeol become a blur. Kyungsoo stands frozen in place, but still having the capability to hang up on his friend. Yoochoo, meanwhile, is pressed up on his chest. He can just explain the whole ordeal after this unexpected turn of events.

"I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to bump on you. But are you alright? The kitty, oh my God, did I hurt the kitty? I'm sorry cute kitty. Oh God."

Standing before his measly outfit is a well built guy with his exposed strong and big arms, laced with straps. A phone is strapped on his right arm that has the earphones connected to his ears, but are soon thrown to loop around his sweaty neck. The guy is good looking.

And then it revisits his mind.

The guy.

This guy is the guy from the supermarket before.

"Hey, you okay, kid?" But along with his manly stature is his ever softest and caring gaze. As someone observant, Kyungsoo already knew that this guy is not the typical handsome boy with bad image. But instead, someone handsome with purest intentions beyond his masculinity.

His phone vibrates against his pocket, making him jolt back to reality.

"W-Wha--What did you say again?" His lamest excuse for spacing out.

"I said are you okay? Did I hurt you?" The proximity is too close. Kyungsoo's stomach flips as he just takes note of the minty scent of the tall boy. He nods robotically, though, he really didn't get hurt from the accidental collision.

"How about your kitty? Is it okay?" Chocolate eyes rake down to the orange pet on his palm. He brings Yoochoo against his chest and examines it.

"I think Yoochoo is okay." He holds the kitten close to his face fondly and peeks up at man who sighs in relief.

"I'm glad, but sorry again, really.  If I had made you drop your kitty, I will not forgive myself." He shoots a boyish apologetic smile and bows to him with another set of apologies.

What a well-mannered guy.

"It's fine. We are fine," awkwardly, he bows too which makes the latter's eyes grow wide. "Sorry too for not looking on my way."

"Hey, hey, no need to do that," he assures, big palms having their way on his narrow shoulders. Tingles run up his spine from the brief contact.

With clattered thoughts, Kyungsoo doesn't know what to do next. His eyes however, get connected to the other man's set of bewildered eyes that softens after.

"No need to apologize." Another assuring smile and a bow before he resumes on his jog leaving Kyungsoo breathless.

Yoochoo purrs at him incessantly like warning bells to get moving, and so he did. But not slipping the opportunity to take one last look from the jogger before he makes a turn and completely disappears from sight.

 

 

-

 

 

"Yah!" The door bursts open and two tall men intrude his apartment shamelessly.

"What are you guys doing in here?" He snaps, body shifting towards them while he’s crouched down on the floor with a shoe box next to him which is Yoochoo's temporary bed.

The kitten is sleeping, but from the noise that shook the four corners of his apartment room, Yoochoo jolts awake.

"What the fuck happened to you? Why didn't you answer my calls, Soo?" Chanyeol grumbles that has him flinching. "I was so worried and you didn't even send a text--oh, is that a kitty?"

Partly guilty, Kyungsoo stands up donning a thin apologetic smile on his face. Standing next to his two taller friends accentuates his small figure more. "I'm sorry."

However, Chanyeol passes by him to crouch down to look at Yoochoo. "It can't be helped. But next time, don't leave me worrying for two hours. I did think something bad happened to you."

Sehun adds, "He almost lost a handful of his hair." The pokerfaced friend slumps on the couch in boredom. "Seriously, we're both hungry." He rubs his eyes, lips forming a pout.

Kyungsoo puts his hands on his hips and sighs.  He feels bad for forgetting his two friends because of Yoochoo who he cleaned up and fed. "I'm really sorry. I was about to get my bicycle when I saw Yoochoo--"

"So Yoochoo is the name and this is the Yoochoo you were frantically saying earlier," Chanyeol grins before carrying the box and putting it on his lap as he sits next to Sehun who’s rubbing his tummy with a yawn. "But that's not the only thing that happened, right?"

Kyungsoo keeps his face guarded. Giving a hint of seeing a handsome man of his type would only lead to more teasing and he doesn't like it when he gets teased because embarrassing things come his way if they will do so. So he turns on his heel instead.

"I prepared simple breakfast. Come on to the table." He walks towards his round dining table for four to serve his friends their breakfast. Chairs are dragged on the tiled floor and his friends settle on their seats. Sunnyside up eggs and hotdogs are laid on the table, so Kyungsoo reheats the deonjang stew and curry he cooked last night while the two scoop fried rice onto their plates.

"You haven't answered my question yet," Chanyeol reminds and they meet eyes as Kyungsoo grabs the pot holder before setting the casserole of stew on the table.

"I bumped to someone when you called. That's all it is to tell." He turns off the stove, transferring the heated curry in a bowl and setting it down on the table. The aroma of two mouth-watering dishes fills the air and the two big men right in front of him start getting their huge amount of portions greedily.

Kyungsoo sits across from them and watches his friends eat, arms folded as he leans on his chair.

His friends stuff food in their mouths, looking like food had been scarce for them and they hadn't eaten in awhile.

Instead of reprimanding them to slow down and not to make a mess in his spotless kitchen, he’s just kept mum and let Chanyeol and Sehun spill sauce and spill grains of rice on the table and on the floor for worrying them for two hours.

"Is this someone a dude or a girl?" Chanyeol asks again and Kyungsoo just rolls his eyes.

"A guy." The shorter his answer, the less questions would be asked. Hopefully.

"I bet the dude is handsome," Sehun says out of the blue and that was the end of his pretentious stance as he chokes on his water that he just poured in a glass and spills some on the floor.

"Oh my--" He wipes his chin and was about to get up for tissues when to his utter mistake he chances a look at his friends grinning at him manically. Chanyeol has the creepiest grin, but Sehun's grin could pass as a new meme of the century on social networking sites.

“So your type huh?” Chanyeol sticks out his tongue at Kyungsoo, but Kyungsoo balls up some tissues and throws it on Chanyeol.

 

 

-

 

 

 **From:** Chanyeol

I need a BIG FAVOR!

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t spare a minute to reply as he quickly calls his bestfriend's number.

"What is it this time, big baby?"

_"Bring me a HUGE lunchbox here at El Dorado Gym."_

"What?"

_"Kyungsoo! Gimme food too!"_

_"Baek, shut up! He will not give you anything!"_

_“Kyungie, bring food!!”_ He hears Jongdae speak too.

 _"Come quick, Kyungsoo!"_ Baekhyun says again.

Kyungsoo sighs, besides he has nothing better to do that day. "Okay. Where is that gym?"

"You know the Flatiron Building, right? Just close to your apartment. Third floor. That's where the gym is."

"I'll be there in fifteen. But promise me--"

Chanyeol chuckles. "See you!"

He stares at his phone.

He’s got a bad feeling about this.

 

 

-

 

 

Kyungsoo stands at the entrance of the gym he doesn’t know exists. He goes to the reception area and tells the lady in charge, popping bubblegum, that he’s there to visit a friend.

He logs in on the log book first before proceeding inside.

A lively music plays in the background and like a lost kid in a mall, Kyungsoo bites his thumb as he looks for his friends.

“Kyungsoo! Over here!” Someone waves at him and he squints, only to see Jongdae. He takes a deep breath and proceeds to where his friends are.

“Kyungie!” Baekhyun greets while using the treadmill beside Sehun who is on his earphones.

“Soo!” Chanyeol grabs the paper bag Kyungsoo is holding and takes a peek inside. “A bucket of chicken! Thanks Kyungsoo!”

“That’s not for free,” he sits on the bench and watches Baekhyun and Sehun sweat while using the treadmill. He really can’t see himself on their shoes right now. “That’s for 150 000 Won.”

“I’ll pay you later,” Chanyeol smirks at him and puts down the paperbag first before proceeding to the inclined bench pressed.

“I need it now.”

“Later.” Chanyeol insists, and so Kyungsoo accepts his defeat.

Jongdae takes the space next to him and starts lifting weights too. He just rolls his eyes at his friends then gets up. “I’m out of here.”

“Wait!” Chanyeol calls. He gets up and walks to him. “Stay and watch us, then I’ll pay you.”

"I have nothing to do here, just pay me tomorrow or whenever since I’m a very nice best friend," Kyungsoo says as a matter of fact, but Chanyeol threatens him.

"Stay or you won't get your 150 000 Won."

"You're an asshole," Kyungsoo scoffs and crosses his arms. "What am I supposed to do here? Watch you exercise? Oh please, are you still trying to make me work out--" his voice dies out when something catches his eyes.

His ideal man just stepped in the gym.

"I saw that," Baekhyun teases in front of him.

"Saw that too," Jongdae grins.

"Saw that three," Sehun joins too and Kyungsoo gulps down, but shoots them a glare.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about!"

As much as he wants to go, he stays.

"Your type, huh?" Chanyeol teases him and Kyungsoo wants to get his hands on a Death Note notebook so bad. “Handsome, tanned and bulky.”

But his eyes are full from the sight of the guy he met few days ago lifting weights on a bench press.

Finally, he found him again.

 

 

-

 

 

Since then, even if his friends only use him to bring them food just to flaunt him their sweaty bodies which was actually 'ew' for Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo finds himself again inside the gym even if his friends didn't ask him to come.

"Oh my God Kyungsoo you're so obvious!" Baekhyun hollers and Kyungsoo smacks his friend on the arm to shush him.

"Shut up, Baek or he'll hear you!" He whisper shouts, and goes back on trailing his eyes over the broad shoulders of the guy who has been the subject of his dreams lately.

"Oh God, you really just admitted that you like him!" Another smack on the arm and Baekhyun flinches.

"Baek, shut up, you're so loud! He'll hear you!" Kyungsoo reddens and then his eyes focus on the bulging arms of the guy, he almost drools.

A towel gets smacked on his face and as he removes it, Chanyeol blocks his view. "You're going to drool!"

Kyungsoo scrunches up his nose and throws back the used towel to his bestfriend. "That's a used one you disgusting elf!"

Chanyeol catches the towel and laughs a bit. He steps aside and Kyungsoo is thankful from the view. But that was not the next thing that he expects, because this time, the guy is facing his way while drinking a bottled water in a most provocative way he has ever seen.

The guy's front shirt is damped with sweat, but it also didn't help that the water spills a little from his mouth that drips roll down to his chin down to his chest.

Kyungsoo stares for long.

Then their eyes meet, and Kyungsoo feels like he's going to faint when the man flashes him a boyish grin.

 

 

-

 

 

"What kind of shorts is that?" Baekhyun criticizes when Kyungsoo arrives with another bag of food even if no one asked him to do so.

"It's hot and my legs are hot, so shush," Kyungsoo says and sets the greasy food from McDonalds on the bench.

Sehun whistles. "Sexy legs."

"Nice ass!" Jongdae shouts from the other side near the handsome guy.

“Oh yes I’m proud to have nice legs and ass I can parade whenever I like.”

Their eyes meet again just in time for Chanyeol to put an arm around his shoulders.

"What's with the skimpy outfit?"

"Excuse me? It's not skimpy. It's hot, my legs are hot--" he shakes his head, "I mean they get sweaty so I have to wear this shorts."

"You mean, you just want Mr. Hot Body to eye fuck your thighs," Jongdae laughs and high fives with the others while shoving some fries in his mouth.

Kyungsoo steals a glance again at the guy despite his reddening face who is unexpectedly flaunting his Adonis-like body. Or maybe he's really Adonis incarnate.

Kyungsoo licks his lips as he follows the guy with his eyes, but Chanyeol turns him around.

"Soo, is that really you?" Chanyeol squishes Kyungsoo's cheeks and Kyungsoo pushes him off.

"You're ruining my moment!" He turns around again and this time he sees the guy using the cable pulley machine facing his direction.

His friends grin at him and Kyungsoo braves himself to stare directly at the guy of his dreams staring back at him too while his bulging biceps flex and abs outlining angrily at him.

This is what he calls sight-seeing.

 

 

-

 

 

This time, Kyungsoo stays instead of leaving when his friends are already in the shower room.

He waits for them because Chanyeol promised a treat in a barbecue house after and Kyungsoo is a sucker for food and he can't just turn that down.

While playing his Neko Atsume App on his phone, though not really playing because he keeps on adjusting the time so he can buy new toys for his cats, someone clears his throat and he sees a pair of red Nike shoes before him.

"Hey, how's your kitty? Yoochoo, right?"

Kyungsoo gulps down from the sight of the guy's buff body. He'd really die just to have those thick arms around his chubby small body.

“You’re talking to me?” He points to himself.

“Who else is here but you.” Mr. Hot Stuff chuckles quietly.

"Uhm...yeah?" Kyungsoo internally berates himself for sounding like he's asking a question too, but pertains to Yoochoo that the man asks about. He grips his phone. The cats on his game are still playing with their toys.

"I didn't know you're a regular here. Nice to see you here," he says with his softest smile and Kyungsoo can't really help but look at the guy's biceps and sliver of pecs because his thin sleeveless shirt barely covers his body.

"Uh, I don't exercise? I babysit my friends?" Kyungsoo reddens because the heck he's making a fool out of himself by answering the guy in questions though they are really statements.

The guy smiles and chuckles melodiously. God, Kyungsoo should have recorded that laugh. It's angelic. "You're so cute."

Kyungsoo coughs. "T-Thanks?"

Their eyes connect once again and Kyungsoo can't stare at him like this for long when they are so close to each other. Yet earlier, they were practically stripping each other with their eyes from how intense their staring contest is.

"Give me your phone," the boy asks.

Kyungsoo gives him a baffled look. "I don't wanna. I don't know you." He pouts and hugs himself, though he’s internally screaming because his ideal man is asking for his number and here he is, playing hard to get.

The handsome guy rubs his nape sheepishly, an amused grin gracing his full lips.

Kyungsoo so badly wants to get sucked by those lips.

"Here," he says, pulling out something from his trousers and handing his phone to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo gives it a stare before looking at the beefy guy. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Put your number there. You don't want my phone number, I'll have yours then." He smoothly offers. Really smooth. Oh, Kyungsoo's skin is smoother dude.

Kyungsoo internally panics but gets the guy's phone. The wallpaper is a photo of him with three poodles. He bites his lip to suppress a squeal. He enters his numbers as fast as he could.

"Here," he hands the phone back.

"Kyungsoo, huh?" The guy's smile makes Kyungsoo curl up like Yoochoo does all the time. He nods timidly, but licks his lips as he gives the guy a once over again and again.

Just by then, his phone vibrates on his hand. He flinches from surprise, "Jesus!"

The guy cackles, but not in an offending way. Kyungsoo thinks it's cute and endearing. He can sleep quickly just by hearing that beautiful laugh.

 

**Unknown Number**

Hey cutie, name's Jongin.

 

"So, I'll see you again tomorrow, Kyungsoo." The guy says. Kyungsoo's heart already fell out of his chest. He can't understand why he’s still breathing, but he nods robotically at the handsome lad whose name is Jongin.

Handsome name for a handsome ~~daddy~~ man.

Okay, he didn't just say that in his head, but he really did.

"Okay?" Kyungsoo wishes for a blackhole to appear to suck him right there and then, because who in their right mind would reply in questions right?

Jongin turns on his heel, but faces him yet again, eyes raking down his features.

"And by the way, hot legs," a wink is thrown at Kyungsoo before the guy leaves and Kyungsoo stomps his feet like a kid, grinning like a fool while biting his already short nails.

He squeals quietly.

And without his knowledge, his friends already left him.

 

**From: Chanyeol**

Saw you with Mr. Right so we already left hehehe. See you at the barbecue house ;P

 

For once, Kyungsoo didn't get mad at his friends for ditching him, so as long he got the number of the guy he has a crush on.

 

 

-

 

 

Two days. Exchanging text messages with Jongin made Kyungsoo giggly and tingly inside.

The night they got each other's numbers, Jongin texted him first. Of course, Kyungsoo replied right away and they exchanged information about themselves.

Kyungsoo told Jongin he's still on vacation mode after graduating in college. Jongin in return told him he's a dance instructor and that he's obsessed with going to the gym. Kyungsoo told him he loves to eat. Jongin told him to keep on eating. Kyungsoo's heart danced from the unexpected reply because he's used to getting suggestions to start working out and get some abs. Jongin, for the first time, made an exception, he thinks he likes the guy more than his friends and brother now. Someone finally supports his love for food and eating.

One more big revelation that made Kyungsoo's heart skip a beat--Jongin is five years older than him.

He's really Kyungsoo's type.

 

 

-

 

 

Kyungsoo puts down his gym bag on the bench before starting to stretch his exposed legs, yet again, and arms upwards when he gets in the El Dorado Gym.

"Who are you?" Baekhyun rakes his eyes at Kyungsoo's loose white shirt, tight shorts and black Nike shoes. A towel was also hanging at his back. "And you smell like a baby."

"Thanks for the you-smell-like-a-baby compliment, Baek. And I signed up for gym sessions just because," he bends down to reach his feet with the tips of his fingers, but seconds later, he straightens up and sits. "I hate sweating!"

Jongdae, Sehun, Chanyeol and Baekhyun stare at him blankly.

"Who would have thought only a hot guy would make Do Kyungsoo sign up for gym sessions?" Chanyeol monotonously mumbles, Kyungsoo just crosses his legs and blinks his eyes at them. 

"This is not gonna be a total workout. I just signed up because--" his eyes are searching for someone around the gym, and when he sees the reason of his sudden registration to frequent the gym, Jongin sends him a wink while lifting weights with his left hand.

Kyungsoo so badly wants to trace his finger on those meaty arms.

"Someone wants to get laid," Jongdae mumbles, Sehun nods, Baekhyun looks at Jongin then back at Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo, indeed, wants to get laid.  But he’s not going to say that out loud.

Nope, he only wants a boyfriend for real this time.

 

 

-

 

 

It’s been years since Kyungsoo had a crush. Some people would say love will seek you, but for Kyungsoo it’s he who will seek for love. He can’t just stay idle and wait for love to find him. He might have been heartbroken years ago, but those were all in the past, and now, he’s slowly falling for Jongin.

Like what his friends would always tell him, ‘When you find someone, you let yourself fall easily’.

At least he tried seeking for one despite his countless heartbreaks before.

Like the previous nights, he and Jongin ended up talking again ‘til 2 AM.

 

 **Kim Jongin:** aren’t you sleepy yet?

 **Do Kyungsoo:** still texting you

 **Do Kyungsoo:** should i call u hyung?

 **Do Kyungsoo:** am i too talkative?

 **Kim Jongin:** you’re cute when you ramble a lot

 **Kim Jongin:** call me whatever you like

 **Do Kyungsoo:** daddy then?

 **Kim Jongin:** sure

 **Kim Jongin:** but can you call me that in the gym where your friends are?

 **Do Kyungsoo:** no :(

 **Kim Jongin:** bc you’re shy?

 **Do Kyungsoo:** awkward when im around someone handsome and hot

 **Kim Jongin:** you’re too honest

 **Do Kyungsoo:** is that a bad thing?

 **Kim Jongin:** makes you even cuter

 **Do Kyungsoo:** don’t you know you’re the only person who i allow to call me cute?

 **Kim Jongin:** but you’re very cute

 **Kim Jongin:** the reason u caught my attention

 **Do Kyungsoo:** okay daddy

 **Kim Jongin:** call me that tomorrow

 **Do Kyungsoo:** night!

 

As if Kyungsoo will do that.

 

 

-

 

 

This time, Kyungsoo is wearing tight black leggings and a black shirt. He makes his way towards Jongin instead of making his way towards his friends who all look scandalized from his hashtag outfit of the day.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin speaks, eyes wide as Kyungsoo stands before him with his wide bright eyes.

Kyungsoo holds a paper bag. A blush creeps on his cheeks as he holds out the item to Jongin.

His heart races. “D-Da—“

Jongin raises a brow, hands on his waist. His front shirt is drenched in sweat again, but Kyungsoo thinks he’s hotter this way.

Kyungsoo can’t do it. His red on the face up to the tip of his ears. “I-I made you lunch so please accept it, hyung!” He bows his head.

The bag disappears from his hand. “Thank you.” Jongin messes his hair and he closes his eyes.

He wants the elder to do that to him all the time. “What were you saying earlier?”

Kyungsoo whines and bites his bottom lip. “N-Nothing! I’m going!” He turns away and returns to his friends.

“Kyungsoo what was that?” Chanyeol asks right away.

“I gave him lunch.” He sits on the bench instead of working out which is the sole purpose of gyms.

“Where is my lunch?”

Kyungsoo uncaps his bottle of water and drinks. “No lunch for you.” He sticks his tongue out at Chanyeol and returns on doing the usual--the sole purpose why he’s in the gym, to watch Jongin flex those muscles out.

“I thought we were bestfriends for life. Are you going to abandon me?”

Kyungsoo yawns in response. “Get a girlfriend, while I’ll get a boyfriend, so scram.”

Chanyeol pouts and returns on the Power Tower machine.

“What’s his name again?” Baekhyun asks.

“Jongin,” he smiles as he enunciates the name while watching the said guy use the stationary bicycles.

“Jongin, I see.” Baekhyun clears his throat. “Jongin-ssi!”

Kyungsoo snaps out from his trance. “Baekhyun, what are you doing?”

Jongdae laughs. “Jongin-ssi! Kyungsoo said teach him how to do sit-ups!”

His friends laugh at him and when he turns to look at Jongin, Jongin is already walking towards him.

“You should have told me earlier you want to do sit-ups, Kyungsoo.”

“I don’t--” Jongin pulls him up and leads him towards an empty space.

“Sit on the mat,” Jongin orders.

“But I don’t want to sweat--” He protests, but one look from Jongin makes his knees wobble so he sits on the blue mat.

Jongin closes his mouth as he chuckles. He kneels in front of Kyungsoo and holds his legs together. “Relax, daddy won’t hurt you.” There’s a teasing glint on his lips and Kyungsoo huffs at him.

“Kyungsoo! Are you having fun with your sugar daddy?”

He hears Jongdae from the other side of the gym and he sees some people giving him a funny look.

Kyungsoo wants to get up and dash but he wants this. He may be awkward when he’s around a handsome man, but he so badly wants to do this with Jongin.

“Shut up stick man!” He yells back at his friend and when he sees Jongdae’s affronted reaction, he sticks out his tongue at him.

Jongin laughs quietly. “You’re really something.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and he can feel Jongin’s hands holding his feet steadily. “Now, breathe. Lay your back on the mat. I will take care of you.”

“Kyungsoo! Are you having a good time under your sugar daddy?” Baekhyun teases next and Kyungsoo reddens. He wants to get this done now, so he lays his back against the mat.

“Cross your arms on your chest,” Jongin’s lips lift up into a smirk.

He complies. His heart beats fast. God, if this how it feels to be underneath Jongin, he’ll take what he can get just to be on this position.

“Next, pull up from the floor. Then bring your torso back on the floor and repeat. You get me?”

Jongin, unexpectedly, taps his belly button. “Baby tum-tum needs to work out. Now, start.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo puffs his cheeks and blows out an exhale  before raising his torso. Unfortunately, he’s having a hard time doing that so a loud long dragged moan leaves his lips as he reaches up. He huffs when Jongin counts one. “I don’t want to do this!”

“Forty-nine more, Kyungsoo,” Jongin taps Kyungsoo’s tummy again and he’s not sure whether it’s part of the lesson or the elder man does it on purpose.

Kyungsoo makes a kicked puppy face. “I don’t want to do this, hyung.”

Jongin leans his ear teasingly. “I thought you’re going to call me daddy today?”

The smaller man huffs and frowns. “I didn’t say I can.”

“Where’s the confident kid I was talking to last night?”

He lays his back again. “He’s dead.”

Jongin laughs and dear heavens, Kyungsoo loves his laugh so much. “You can do this, Soo. Come on, one more.”

Another groan leaves Kyungsoo’s lips and he sees his friends from the other side waving and smiling at him while they do their thing.

“Whoo! Kyungsoo is going to get laid soon!” Baekhyun yells out again.

“Shameless bitch,” he mumbles and does his number two count.

“You’re doing good, Soo.” Jongin compliments and Kyungsoo halts because he sounds like he’s complimenting him due to other reasons.

"Your friends love teasing you don't they?"

Forty-seven sits up to go.

Kyungsoo has his arms crossed on his chest and he's having a hard time doing this exercise because of his flabby tummy.

"Just ignore them. They're pretty loud." He takes a deep breath and tries to lift himself again. But when he does, a strangled groan slips from his lips yet again.

"And you're not loud?" Jongin smirks, hugging his legs now and Kyungsoo wants to spread his legs already and--he coughs from the dirty thought in his mind.

"I can be loud too if I want to." He rolls his eyes and lies down on the mat again. He sees his friends giving him big smiles and thumbs ups.

Baekhyun sticks his tongue at him.

"I love loud cute boys honestly," Jongin confesses and Kyungsoo groans out loud when he makes his fifth count of sit-ups. “And confident ones.”

Kyungsoo is going to die from asphyxiation.

Sit-ups exercise is a torture.

 

 

-

 

 

 **Kim Jongin:** how’s ur tum tum?

 **Do Kyungsoo:** still flabby and cute

 **Kim Jongin:** sit-ups again on Friday?

 **Do Kyungsoo:** you can choke

 **Kim Jongin:** why are you so mean to me on text?

 **Do Kyungsoo:** bc shy Kyungsoo is dead

 **Kim Jongin:** are you quoting a song?

 **Do Kyungsoo:** uh yeah?

 **Kim Jongin:** your friend Sehun told me i’m your type

 **Do Kyungsoo:** he’ll choke

 **Kim Jongin:** you’re really cute i want to pamper you

 **Do Kyungsoo:** do it daddy i love getting pampered too  >////<

 **Kim Jongin:** i will never get tired of talking with you

 **Do Kyungsoo:** me too daddy

 **Kim Jongin:** go downstairs

 **Do Kyungsoo:** only fools fall for you

 **Kim Jongin:** im serious

 **Do Kyungsoo:** i know i’m just a kid but i’m not a fool

 **Kim Jongin:** what floor are you in?

 **Do Kyungsoo:** third?

 **Kim Jongin:** i’m on my way

 **Do Kyungsoo:** Yoochoo said you’re lying

 **Kim Jongin:** ok what number your unit is?

 **Do Kyungsoo:** Zzzzzz

 **Kim Jongin:** im not joking kid

 

Kyungsoo nibbles on his lips, a nervous habit he acquired aside from nail biting. “Yoochoo, this muscular guy is going to kidnap me.”

His phone rings and Jongin’s name appears on the screen. “Shit!”

He answers the call. “Kyungsoo is sleeping.”

Jongin chuckles from the other line. _“I’m in front of your door.”_

Kyungsoo holds Yoochoo with his left arm. “You’re ly--”

There’s a knock on his front door then a buzz from his doorbell. He looks at the clock on his phone. 10:45 PM.

_“Open the door.”_

“I’m not going to open that up,” he says. Apparently, his heart races. He feels nervous. It’s an undeniable fact that he likes Jongin and he’s sure that the elder guy is a good man because he stalked him on Facebook, but of course Kyungsoo didn’t add him just yet.

 _“Is it because you still feel awkward and shy when I’m around?”_ There’s a hint of sadness lacing Jongin’s thick voice that Kyungsoo loves to listen to.

Kyungsoo sighs and steps out of his room. He settles on his couch and stares at his closed door.

“That one, yeah.” Kyungsoo admits and he had already told the elder man about it before, the reason he rarely approaches Jongin in the gym and opts to watch him from afar instead.

“ _And that because you’d just embarrass yourself in front of me?”_ He can hear Jongin behind his closed door so he lowers his voice instead.

“Yeah.”

To Kyungsoo’s surprise, Jongin laughs that beautiful genuine laugh. _“Okay, I won’t force you to open up the door. But I’ll stay here first, kid.”_

“Don’t call me kid, I’m not a kid, ahjussi. I’m twenty-three years old.”

_“I’m twenty-eight, so call me hyung.”_

“I don’t want to call you hyung.”

 _“Fine with me too.”Call me daddy, then."_ A merry laugh is heard outside as long from the other line and Kyungsoo's heart soars.

“Go home and sleep, Jongin.”

_“Call me by my name again, kid.”_

“I’m not a kid!”

Kyungsoo gets up and walks to the door. He’s tempted to open up the door and let Jongin inside. But he doesn’t do that. Yoochoo purrs on his arm.

Jongin chuckles and exhales. _“Soo? I hope you won’t get awkward around me anymore. I want to know you better not just by talking with you through phone calls and texts. I swear I’m not going to kidnap a baby like you.”_

Kyungsoo snorts and bites his lip to muffle his laughter. “I know you’re not.”

_“I’ll see you then next time at the gym? How about you lift weights and start putting up muscles on your flabby arms?”_

He knows Jongin is only teasing him. “You won’t let me do that.”

The elder man snickers. _“I’ll see you this Friday then?”_

“I’ll see you, but--” Kyungsoo suddenly feels bad.

_“I know. As long as you’re there it’s enough.”_

“Okay,” Kyungsoo’s mood suddenly drops and he quickly hangs up without saying goodnight, but hears it behind the door before he can tell Jongin has left his front door.

Sighing, he pads his feet back towards his bedroom and sits on the edge of his bed while petting Yoochoo on his lap.

“Why am I letting the past happen again?”

 

 

-

 

 

"Kyungsoo, why don't you try the treadmill?" Chanyeol asks while wiping the sweat off his face.

Kyungsoo only did a few stretches that do not require much sweating. The boy in big black shirt and rolled up shorts sits down and quickly fans himself especially his legs.

"I'm not going to sweat!" He complains, but a smile makes its way on his face when he lifts his head to watch Jongin exercise. Luckily, he catches the man running his fingers through his sweaty strands of hair while using the rowing machines in slow motion.

Like any other day, his world stops from spinning when their eyes meet. Kyungsoo swallows down a huge lump from his throat and looks away with a shy smile.

"You've got it bad, Soo Soo." Jongdae comments.

"Very bad," Sehun adds.

And Baekhyun agrees more. "Can this be love?"

Kyungsoo bites his forefinger in response and he whimpers as his eyes glue to Jongin's hard looking six-pack abs. The man is a walking temptation in shirtless form.

 

 

-

 

 

“Uhm,” someone speaks just when Kyungsoo and his friends are about to leave. Everyone turns to the owner of the voice.

Jongin is in his shirt and baggy pants, palm rubbing the back of his neck.

Nobody speaks.

“Can I borrow Kyungsoo for a while?” Jongin asks after taking a deep breath. Kyungsoo bites his lower lip from shyness. He doesn’t know why whenever Jongin is near he becomes shy compared to his bold and sassy demeanor when he’s around with friends.

Chanyeol steps forward. “May I know why you want to borrow my best friend Mr. Beach Body Guy?”

“Yeah. Tell us first. You might just kidnap our Kyungie. We want him to get laid but we care for him too because sometimes he can be stupid,” Baekhyun tells and Kyungsoo was already moved that his friend cares about his welfare until Baekhyun has to say that sometimes he’s stupid, so he smacks him on the arm and just chuckles forcefully.

Jongin’s eyes crinkle when he laughs.

Sehun leans to his ear, but closes his mouth with a hand. “I like him for you. He looks nice.”

“So, what do you need from Kyungie?” Jongdae asks again. “Why don’t you just tell it now? Right, guys?”

Everyone nods and Kyungsoo just looks at Jongin in utmost curiosity.

Jongin takes a lungful of air again before proceeding. His eyes are glued at Kyungsoo’s and his eyes are genuine. “I want to take him out.”

Everyone gasps.

"Kyungsoo, why are you hiding?" Jongdae asks, making the boy in question flinch behind Sehun.

His wide eyes peek behind Sehun's shoulder and he hides again when Jongin looks at him.

"Soo, he's just asking you out," Chanyeol coaxes when earlier he was acting tough and overprotective of him from Jongin.

"Come on, Soo! Don't play hard to get we all know you want to solo Jongin-ssi too!" Baekhyun pulls him out behind Sehun and pushes him forward like a sacrificial lamb towards the elder man.

"B-Baek, I'm going to cut you--" Unfortunately, he wasn't able to finish his sentence, instead, he meets Jongin's sturdy chest and the man unexpectedly loops his arms around his waist to steady him.

Kyungsoo squeaks from the contact.

"You can't escape from me now, Kyungsoo. Go out with me." Jongin's smirk is too perfect and too sexy it makes Kyungsoo weak on the knees he wants to dash out, but his frailties as a man has him rooted on his place around Jongin's big muscled arms. Kyungsoo so badly wants to squeeze them.

 

 

-

 

 

Kyungsoo really wants to run away, but he can't. The last time he checked his watch, it was 3:18 p.m. Now, it's 3:22 p.m, only four minutes passed and Kyungsoo is torn from praying for the time to pass quick and for the time to slow down. He walks behind Jongin while nibbling on his lip. He can't help but steal glances at Jongin's broad back that has him moaning a little from the mouth-watering sight. However, his jaw falls agape when Jongin stops and turns to face him.

"Why are you walking behind my back?"

People pass by their left and right. Tall buildings loom over them, hiding the white puffy clouds that move along the blowing breeze.

Kyungsoo's chest tightens. His guts form a knot. He can't think of a reason to say, though the real reason why he's behind is because he can't stand normally beside the gorgeous man. He'll just embarrass himself from how awkward he gets around beautiful males of his type.

"Because, I'd only look like a twelve year old kid walking beside you."

Kyungsoo's eyes widen after the last word came out of his mouth and to his surprise, Jongin stands beside him.

"Okay--"

But Kyungsoo isn't ready for this so he backs away for five steps. Jongin matches his steps again, but Kyungsoo is not in his right mind so he takes five steps forward. Then it became repetitive.

"No! Stay there, ahjussi. I'm not walking right beside you!" Kyungsoo points a forefinger at Jongin, his knees buckling.

"Why?" The elder man pouts.

"Because people might think you're my father!"

Jongin clutches on his stomach as he bends and laughs without a care that people are starting to look their way.

Kyungsoo, again, takes note of Jongin's crinkling eyes and curvy muscled arm flexing. He's torn at where he should look at. But there's an obvious red suffusing on his cheeks, so when Jongin calms down from his high, he turns away and bites his nail. His heart beats faster and louder he doesn't know what to think and say, until to his utter surprise, Jongin grabs his clammy hand and laces their fingers together.

"Your father? Maybe your sugar daddy. Just stop moving away from me," Jongin tightens his hold as Kyungsoo attempt to wriggle out his hand from the warm hold. "Really, stop or I'm going to kiss you."

Kyungsoo bows his head down. The blush on his cheeks darkens, or so he thinks like on the several shoujo animes he has watched since high school.

"Y-You won't dare..." He mumbles while he flicks his eyes at their linked hands then back to the ground.

Jongin chuckles. He keeps on laughing the entire time and Kyungsoo feels so small and embarrassed.

"Just don't let go of my hand."

They walk in silence. Kyungsoo takes deep breaths and he's internally fanboying because Jongin is holding his hand. However, nothing lasts. Jongin retracts his hand away and Kyungsoo felt a little disappointed about it.

"You're quiet," an arm was thrown over his narrow shoulders and Kyungsoo freezes. "You're so loud and talkative when we talk over the phone."

Kyungsoo bites on his bottom lip. "I-I just don't have anything to say?"

Jongin throws his head back from laughing and Kyungsoo just lowers his head in shame.

"Fine, let me just fill in the silence for you."

Throughout their journey to the place where Jongin promised him he'd love, Jongin told him a lot of stories ranging from funny ones to personal thoughts. By this, despite keeping quiet the entire time, but smiling and laughing at the funny things Jongin said, Kyungsoo feels like he's falling more and more with Jongin's personality and he thinks it's hard to stop it now.

 

 

-

 

 

Kyungsoo settles on a cushioned seat once they arrived in a chicken and beer place packed with people.

It's 4PM in the afternoon and the diner is busy. Students and some office workers are eating and engaging in animated conversations. The place is loud with people, but there's a comforting feel to it as people could be themselves unlike going to high end restaurants where everyone is expected to be prim and proper.

Two plates of six spicy chicken wings were laid on the wooden table. Jongin asks for bottomless iced tea as their drinks while Kyungsoo just pokes the fried chicken on his plate with his chopsticks.

"Why aren't you eating?" Jongin asks and grabs a dark red spicy chicken wing and takes a bite using his bare fingers.

Kyungsoo's surprised face has Jongin smiling. The younger man can't believe Jongin has the audacity to eat with his fingers in public.

"Mhm," Jongin moans and suckles on his sauce-stained fingers.

Kyungsoo looks away to save himself from insanity. He pokes on his food and picks up a grain of rice before putting it in his mouth.

"Come on, Soo. Eat." Jongin urges, so Kyungsoo nods and eats uncharacteristically primly and properly.

"Yah, why are you eating like a princess? Do you normally eat this way? Loosen up, kid."

Kyungsoo pouts. "I'm not a kid." He still continues to eat elegantly and neatly. He's not normally like this, but he's eating in front of Jongin so he tells and convinces himself not to make a mess.

Jongin laughs heartily. "I thought you love food?" The elder man shoves more food in his mouth until he's stuffed and his words become a garbled mess as he talks.

" _Wheresh the Kyungshoos i knowsh who luffs foodsh?"_

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. He keeps a guarded look on his face, but he so badly wants to wipe the red sauce on Jongin's chin. Rather, he just stares at his food and eats uncomfortably.

"I thought you love eating, so why aren't you eating that much?" Jongin takes a bite of his chicken every after licking his stained fingers.

Kyungsoo squirms on his seat. The suckling sounds Jongin makes has Kyungsoo biting the insides of his cheeks.

"Because you're here and I'm distracted."

A blush creeps on his cheeks, but he just stated a fact. He's awkward and distracted he doesn't know how to act normally around Jongin, so again, he pokes on his food, but something pokes on his lips, something greasy and spicy, and when he looks at it, a chicken meat was pushing past through his lips and being forced inside his mouth.

Jongin shoves more food in his mouth using his fingers.

"Seriously, don't be shy around me. Just be yourself, Kyungsoo, like how I'm being myself to you. Feed your baby in your tummy." Jongin jokes and eats messily like a kid. Seeing Jongin act this way, he gives in.

Something in Kyungsoo's heart stirs both from the words Jongin said and from the genuine smile he got from him. So slowly, he shows the real side of him and starts eating like he's just eating with one of his friends.

From that short moment, Kyungsoo falls more in love.

Okay, shit, he just admitted it. But he won't mind falling in love with this attractive playful elder man.

It's a trap.

 

 

-

 

 

Night falls quick and Kyungsoo was too late to wish for time to slow down.

Jongin walked him to his front porch after eating lots of chicken dishes. Kyungsoo feels like he's going to throw up soon from how stuffed he was. Jongin kept feeding him food, and he couldn't say no to the elder as he likes how the man pampers and spoils him with food.

"So, did you have fun hanging out with daddy?" Jongin teases and Kyungsoo blushes. His entire face down his neck is beet red.

He nods in response. "T-Thank you for today."

He wants to look at Jongin's eyes, but he can't find it in himself to do so.

Jongin chuckles and messes his hair. Kyungsoo peeks through his bangs to look up at Jongin smiling at him. "You're ruining my hair."

"Really?" He sniggers. "Let's mess it up more." So Jongin keeps on ruffling Kyungsoo's hair and the latter closes his eyes from the fond touch. God, he wants Jongin to do this to him everyday.

Seconds after, Jongin puts down his hand and slips his hands in his pockets. "I'll see you again next time?"

Kyungsoo looks up at Jongin and he can't understand how he still looks so handsome after a busy day.

"I-I'll see you again next time."

Jongin laughs merrily and Kyungsoo pouts. "You always laugh at me."

"Because you're so cute like this," he wipes a few stray tears from his eyes and Kyungsoo gets more awkward because he has been doing all sorts of embarrassing things around Jongin. "But really, I'll see you again, okay?"

Kyungsoo can't say no. "Okay."

Jongin's shoulders quake as he laughs again. "You're so different over the phone, but it only makes you cuter. See you soon." He pets Kyungsoo's head like petting a cute animal. "You're like a maltese."

 

 

-

 

 

That night, Kyungsoo rolls and tosses on his bed from bliss. He hugs Yoochoo as he rolls and kicks his legs from remembering all the nice things that happened to him that day, excluding the embarrassing things he did and said to Jongin.

Freeing Yoochoo around his arms, Kyungsoo grabs his phone and types a text to Chanyeol.

 

 **From:** Kyungsoo

I'm falling in love again.

 

 **From:** Chanyeol

Just don't let yourself get hurt again.

 

 

-

 

 

Friday comes and Kyungsoo has practiced himself in front of the mirror on how he’ll ask Jongin out. He wants another friendly date, if that’s what you’d call the last time they hang out together for the first time, he gave himself a pep talk to act normally around the guy, so he wanted to try it again.

Once he steps in the gym with newfound confidence, he shoots his eyes towards Jongin’s usual place. Walking towards the area, he’s surprised to see the bench press empty of Jongin’s presence.

“Where is he?” He mumbles to himself while his eyes dart back and forth from the entrance to the bathroom.

He waits for five minutes. But Jongin didn’t come out of the bathroom area so he proceeds to the reception desk to ask the lady in charge.

“Did the tall tanned male come today?”

"Jongin?" The receptionist confirms. Kyungsoo nods. "He has not arrived yet. It’s pretty late for him to arrive now too.”

“Oh, is that so?” His voice is thick in resignation. All the courage he gathered receded. He wrings his hands together and wets his lips. “Uh, I guess, I’ll go now.”

“You won’t stay here with your friends?” She points to his back with her pouty lips where his friends are waving at him happily.

He  scratches his hairline and then rubs his eyes. “I dunno.” The truth is, he’s not in the mood to do anything anymore. He turns on his heel and bounds towards his friends with a neutral face.

“Kyungsoo, why aren’t you in your gym outfit?” Jongdae muses, wiping his sweaty neck and forehead.

Chanyeol chugs on his icy bottled water and turns to him. “You okay?”

“I was supposed to ask Jongin hyung on a date.” He confesses and flinches a little when Baekhyun sloppily returns the 35 kgs dumbbell on its rock it almost fell on the floor and Baekhyun looked traumatized for a second. Sighing, he continues, eyeing his friends boredly.

“But I’m going now because he’s not around.”

“Why don’t you call him? Text him?” Sehun suggests and Kyungsoo doesn’t miss how Sehun sniffs Chanyeol briefly. He rolls his eyes at them.

“I tried since morning, but I didn’t get an answer,” he says monotonously. His hopes and willingness go down the drain. “I’ll just go home. It’s pointless to stay here when he’s not here. I have no one to ogle with.”

“Just stay,” Chanyeol pats his head and smiles. It’s a comforting smile at least. “I know you, Soo. You’re not okay and whatever you’re thinking, forget it for now and wait for us then we’ll go have lunch somewhere. My treat.”

Baekhyun and Jongdae hoot in glee. They love it more when Chanyeol treats them food instead of spending their own money for it, so they ask for Kyungsoo to come with them and who is Kyungsoo to say no to free food?

Perhaps, Jongin is just busy.

But it doesn’t mean that he’s not disappointed, because of all days Jongin has to be somewhere else, Kyungsoo has mustered up all the courage to act cool around him. Yet, courage, hope and everything else he needs is flushed out of his system.

 

 

-

 

 

His heart almost leaps off from his chest when he sees the caller I.D of the man he’s disappointed not to see the previous day at the gym.

After the 37th time Jongin rings his phone, Kyungsoo answers but doesn’t speak.

 _“Soo?”_ Jongin sounds more like a kid more than a twenty eight year old bulky man. _“Are you mad at me?”_

Kyungsoo licks his lips and stares ahead at his wall where his framed diploma back in the university hangs.

 _“You won’t answer my texts and calls. Have you read my texts? Why aren’t you here in the gym?”_ Jongin whines like a kid, really. It’s funny if this is just from an ordinary day where Kyungsoo ogles at Jongin’s Adonis-like body. But it’s not, so Kyungsoo doesn’t laugh and make fun of the elder man.

_"Kyungsoo, answer me please, I'm worried."_

"You were not there last week so I thought you're not there again today."

_“Thank Gods, you finally talked!”_

Kyungsoo answers him with a huff of breath. He rolls his eyes.

_"You sure that's the only reason why you’re not answering my calls and texts? Why you’re not here?"_

Kyungsoo wants to say, _did you even read my texts the previous days? I didn’t even get a single reply from one of them._

"I just don't feel like going today." The only thing he says, though it’s completely true too, but it doesn’t matter anymore as long as Jongin finally bothered him to talk this time. He has given him a taste of his own medicine for not replying to his texts and calls so this is just fair enough for him now.

 _"I see,"_ there's a sigh on the next line. " _But I'll see you next week then, right?"_ Jongin’s change in tone pulls up a smile on his lips slightly.

Kyungsoo puts Yoochoo on his lap and pets its small body. "Yep." He resigns. He can’t just stay mad and disappointed at Jongin, because they are not a thing anyway so he doesn’t have the right to get mad just because of his three days consecutive absence at the gym.

He’s glad he got awesome but crazy friends who gave him the talk back on that day Jongin didn’t appear at the gym.

" _Alright, next Friday then. I'm hang--"_ Kyungsoo cuts the elder man’s gleeful response when his confidence strikes up again and he’s back to his usual self. Besides, Kyungsoo is really not mad at Jongin. He was just disappointed that perfect timing isn’t in his hands that time when he got the courage to ask Jongin on a date, but Jongin was nowhere to be found.

"W-Wait!" A smirk curves his fat red lips.

 _"Hm?"_ Jongin hums.

"D-Don't you m-miss me?" Kyungsoo's heart pounds against his ribcage. Jongin might not be next to him, but he's red all over the face from asking that question. It’s quick, but he actually misses Jongin and he hopes the elder man feels the same way as him.

Jongin laughs lowly. _"I bet you miss me. Do you miss me, Kyungsoo?"_

"I'm asking you the question."

_"Come on, say you miss me first."_

As if he’d say that. He loves to be petty sometimes, just like how petty he has been the past few days just because of Jongin’s absence.

"I'm hanging up."

_"Wai--"_

He ends the call and hugs his legs closer to his chest. There's a slight pout and blush on his cheeks. "Yoochoo, I like him so much. What do I do?"

His phone vibrates. As for checking the messages, a huge smile graces his lips and he feels like floating on cloud nine. He sprawls himself on bed and stares at the ceiling before curling up to reread the message again and squeals.

 

 **From:** Jongin

I miss you

 

 

-

 

 

Kyungsoo decides to ask Jongin again to hang out the next day. He can't wait to see Jongin again and gawk over his buff body. This time, he tells himself to act normal and to be himself around the elder man.

Lounging on the couch, he's on his phone, chatting his friends on their group chat.

 

**EXO'tics**

 

 **pcyeol:** look at my arms

 **pcyeol:** and A-B-S

 **pcyeol:** [inserts image]

 **JD:** that's smol look at mine bish

 **JD:** [inserts image]

 **B4econ:** you guys look like competing who has the biggest and smallest dick

 **Vivi:** you're small baek

 **Kyungsoo:** sehun is the biggest

 **pcyeol:** how dare Soo! you already saw mine you know im the biggest!

 **Kyungsoo:** sehun is the biggest.

 **JD:** wtf we’re talking about arms! Not dicks!

 **Vivi:** hehe!

 **B4econ:** how did u see sehun's dick?

 **Kyungsoo:** we took a bath together before

 **JD:** you're smol too Soo heh

 **pcyeol:** yeah Soo is small like a peanut

 **Kyungsoo:** fuq u all IM THE THICKEST

 **Vivi:** kyungsoo is small but thick

 **Kyungsoo:** Sehun IM NOT SMALL

 **pcyeol:** he's enough. stop harassing my bff

 **JD:** says who said kyung is a size of a peanut

 **JD:** LIAR

 **pcyeol:** forgive me Soo

 **Kyungsoo:** i dont know u

 **B4econ:** u just dont want him to strangle u

 **pcyeol:** kyungsoo is not that small. He’s not a peAnut sized

 **Kyungsoo:** at least im thick

 **Kyungsoo:** not just my dick

 **Kyungsoo:** but my precious milky thighs too you hairy men!

 **B4econ:** xcuse me i have da ass

 **Vivi:** i have da ass too

 **pcyeol:** but we all have asses

 **B4econ:** lmao yeol you don’t have da ass you’re flat lol

 **JD:** im big

 **pcyeol:** dae, you're not big you're small hahahahha

 **JD:** shut up we have the same size bitch!

 **B4econ:** im big and i love it

 **Kyungsoo:** jongin hyung is the biggest suck it up guys

 **pcyeol:** you've seen his dick???

 **B4econ:** ...

 **Vivi:** pervsoo

 **JD:** Im the biggest bitches!

 

[Another chat window]

 

 **B4econ:** soo...

 **Kyungsoo:** ?

 **B4econ:** u're in love arent u?

 **Kyungsoo:** so?

 **B4econ:** i care for u

 **Kyungsoo:** ok this is getting weirder, do u like me?

 **B4econ:** *pukes* in your dreams dood

 **Kyungsoo:** k

 **B4econ:** but i do care for u

 **B4econ:** i hate to see u hurt

 **B4econ:** you have to see this

 **Kyungsoo:** ??

 **B4econ:** [inserts photo]

 **B4econ:** i stalked him and i found this. it was uploaded last night from the other guy's profile

 **B4econ:** i think he's just using u

 **Kyungsoo:** wow im shook

 

Kyungsoo logs out.

He swallows a lump again from his throat as he stares intently at the photo of Jongin kissing a guy who looks like him.

The photo is in monochrome and had Jongin leaning forwards to meet the other guy's lips across him. There side profiles were clearly visible and it's no wonder that it is Jongin in the photo that looks like it was taken from a posh restaurant.

After some minutes of contemplation, Kyungsoo shuts his phone, picks up Yoochoo and cuddles his pet kitten in bed as he tries to comfort himself and tells himself not to cry over a guy who isn't his in the first place.

 

 

-

 

 

A week later, Kyungsoo cancelled his subscription in the gym. His friends already knew the reason and he's glad that they didn't pry on his decisions

But besides it, Jongin has never stopped calling, texting and stopping by at his place to get him to talk.

Kyungsoo doesn't want to talk to him ever. All the guys he has liked ever since are assholes. Jongin is now part of his list of assholes that has a red line under his name.

He doesn't feel like looking for love ever again.

 

 **From:** Jongin

Did I do anything that made you mad?

 

 **From:** Jongin

Open the door. I'm worried :(

 

Later on Jongin calls him. Twice, thrice until the eleventh time. Still, Kyungsoo doesn't answer. He still feels betrayed and upset. He still scolds himself for expecting something that he thought he'll have. Jongin is a liar. Jongin is just like the other guys he encountered before. They all fooled him and gave him false hopes. Now that it has been the fifth time he experienced this shit, Kyungsoo doesn't want to try it again.

 

He texts Jongin finally.

 

 **From:** Kyungsoo

Fuck you. Leave me alone.

 

Wiping the tears gathering at his lids, his phone vibrates and he reads Jongin's reply.

 

 **From:** Jongin

At least tell me what I did. Please?

 

 **From:** Jongin

Let's talk

 

 **From:** Jongin

I'm not going to leave not until you tell me what i did to you :(

 

 **From:** Jongin

Let me correct whatever mistake I did please.

 

"Correct your mistake? Why? What are we anyway?" He scoffs, not replying through text, but voicing it out while brushing Yoochoo's soft fur.

 

 **From:** Jongin

I'll wait

 

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes at the reply and then decides to abandon his phone in his cabinet the whole day.

Aware of Jongin's presence behind his door didn't hinder Kyungsoo from moving around his apartment. He watched television in loud volume and makes sure Jongin could hear it behind his door to send his message across that he's not going to listen to whatever explanation he'd say to him because they might be all fabricated and make him hope for nothing again.

Afternoon passed and Jongin floods him with more texts and calls. All left unanswered. Kyungsoo does everything to take his mind off the man behind the door by watching movies, cleaning, and playing with Yoochoo. He even had the audacity too to sing at the top of his lungs when he blasted some DBSK songs.

Sundown came and he pretended that it was a normal day without Jongin waiting behind his door. He pretended that he never knew a Kim Jongin at all, and most of all, he shouted at the top of his lungs after singing a heartbreaking song, "Fuck you all heart breakers!" He hoped Jongin heard it clearly too.

Night came. Frankly, Kyungsoo is getting guilty for making Jongin stay outside for long. He has been contemplating whether to talk to Jongin or not. A part of him wants to end this with a closure even if there is really nothing going on over them and a part of him wants to tell Jongin that there's nothing wrong, that he's just being a drama queen and trolling him for fun so they'd go back to how they usually are.

Giving up, Kyungsoo grabs the doorknob, takes deep down breaths before twisting the metallic knob. However, he stops. He shakes his head from the thought of getting Jongin to explain his side. He can't help but think the man would play with his feelings yet again. Peeking through the curtains, Kyungsoo expects Jongin to still be outside, slacking off, sitting on the cold hard cemented floor sleeping or anything, but there's no one behind the door. There's no Kim Jongin who said he won't leave not when Kyungsoo opens the door for him, but the man left. Shutting the curtains closed, Kyungsoo bounds back to his room in agitation, pissed at himself for still having a pinch of trust he has for Jongin. But he felt betrayed again. Jongin left. It only means, Jongin is a big fat liar.

 

 

-

 

 

The strum of the guitar doesn't even work anymore to help Kyungsoo relax and forget about stressful thoughts. One, he has started submitting resumes online to different companies and at the back of his mind, he's anxious that he won't get hired at all. He was just an average student from an average university who didn't aim for high grades, but only aimed to graduate just to get a diploma. A diploma that serves as a ticket to get in a good company and to earn buckets of money. That’s the way of life. Two, Jongin. Kim fucking Jongin won’t leave his mind. Kim fucking Jongin who confuses him all the goddamn time, who he thinks is the one, how much petty it sounds, but yes, he’s a hopeless romantic lad who thinks a person who treats him nicely and sweetly might have an ounce of crush on him, but again, it’s a petty thought, because he has a sorry ass for always getting dumped by people he thought was the one.

Eight, nine, ten, Kyungsoo has lost count of the shots he took since his friends took him at a street stall in Hongdae to eat tteokbokki. That was the initial plan, to eat together and reminisce the past, but Kyungsoo has other things in mind.

Chanyeol brought his guitar and is having the time of his life playing it while Baekhyun and Jongdae sings. Meanwhile, the other occupants of the stall are very pleased to have some music to accompany them that night while the summer breeze blows. The owner of the stall is thankful for the entertainment the youngsters bring for free in his stall that adds more customers to serve the night.

Sehun just stares at Kyungsoo’s sorry self drowning himself in alcohol and Kyungsoo is too drunk the join the fun in singing where he does all the time whenever Chanyeol has his guitar to play.

“Why won’t you let Jongin explain?” Sehun asks and sips on his iced tea.

Kyungsoo is busy pulling out his phone’s screen protector and putting it back. He did it the tenth time around, Sehun notes, but Kyungsoo has selective hearing, he can’t decipher whether Sehun is talking to him or not. He doesn’t know what’s going on anymore to his surroundings.

Afterwards, Chanyeol has stopped playing and bowed to the other spectators listening to them perform. Baekhyun and Jongdae are both laughing and high-fiving as singing is their escape and gives them pleasure.

Kyungsoo sniffles and he gives up flattening out the bubbles on his phone screen protector. A series of expletives rolls out of his lips, brows furrowing, but sighing in defeat as he chugs on the mouth of the bottle of beer instead of pouring some on his shot glass.

“He got it bad.” Jongdae flatly says and everyone agrees as they watch their friend drown in his own misery.

Kyungsoo can’t understand the slur of words he’s hearing in the background. As much as he wants to stress over job-seeking instead of Jongin’s lies or whatever the fuck Jongin did to him, he can’t help but open his phone once again to look at the saved photo of Jongin kissing a small guy. A guy who looks exactly like him. The nerve.

“Liar,” he slurs and then a manic laugh leaves his mouth and tears gather from his lids and he’s not sure whether he’s crying from heartbreak or from laughing too much.

It doesn’t last long though. His face morphs into sadness, lips curving to a frown as he sniffles once again. He gives his friends a hard look, but despite the alcohol in his system, he can detect the concern that reflects on his friends’ eyes.

“Soo, it’s been three weeks. Won’t you try to talk to him?” Baekhyun soothingly suggests and pushes a glass of water to his direction which he denies in a heartbeat.

“Water is for the weak, Baek. Beer is for the strong ones.” Kyungsoo points his forefinger at his friend before chugging down the bottle of beer then putting it down with a thud sound.

“Kyungsoo, that’s enough,” Chanyeol sits beside him, but Kyungsoo waves him off then dials something on his phone. He calls for a waiter to give him five more bottles despite the protests from his friends.

“Kyungsoo, listen to me,” Baekhyun starts, but a phone ringing cuts what he’s about to say something.

The person Kyungsoo calls answers after three rings. He has set it on loudspeaker, uncaring whether everyone hears what he’s about to say that is supposedly for Jongin to hear only.

“Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo cackles in answer, droopy eyes and lower lip jutting out. “Fuck you.”

“You’re drunk, where the fuck are you?”

Kyungsoo’s shoulders quake from laughing again, but then stopping. He looks at his friends who watches him intently. “Do you hear this guy, guys? This man broke my fucking heart!” He’s on the verge of crying despite laughing.

“Kyungsoo, stop this and just talk to Jongin.” Baekhyun tells, worrying his lip. “This is my fault--”

“Kyungsoo, tell me where the fuck are you and I’m going to pick you up. Are you with someone? Don’t talk to strangers, don’t let anyone touch--”

“Why are you so concerned? Are you even my boyfriend, asshole?”

“Kyungsoo, please. Tell me where you are and we’ll talk. As much as I want to tell you the truth on the phone--”

“Then fucking tell it you, moron!” Kyungsoo is agitated, his voice rising. “Fucking tell it, but for sure they are just going to be lies. You’re just one of the boys I have fallen in love with. Oh! Am I already in love with you? I don’t know! Maybe I’m torn from believing myself that I have fallen in love with you and maybe I’m not too? I don’t fucking know, Jongin. But you know, I trusted you. I fucking trusted you, but you led me on. If you already got a boyfriend or fucking a girl or whatever you prefer to fuck then you shouldn’t have flirted with me all this time. You fucking jerk, you’re just one of them. Jesus Christ why did I even fall to your trap? What’s your aim, huh? You’re a player aren’t you? Playing with younger boys’ hearts? Am I on your list of targets to fool? Sorry babe, but I already caught you. You fucking liar, you should burn in hell. Guys like you who give false hopes to people like me should have their asses burnt and get their dicks chopped. I fucking hate you and let me just tell you,” he huffs to take a breath.

“Kyungsoo, you better listen to me--”

“Let me tell you that you’ll be the last guy I will ever like because all the guys I liked are fucking the same. I thought this time it will be different, but history repeats itself and I’m fucking done. Old Do Kyungsoo is fucking dead so goodbye.”

He hangs up instantly.

There’s a beat of silence in their table and Kyungsoo is torn between laughing and crying, so he does both then and pours more beer, no, pushes the shot glass towards Sehun and uncaps the new bottles of beer he asked and chugs on one again. Sweat and tears mix on his face, but despite being able to give Jongin a piece of his mind, his heart still aches. He has fallen deeply and he should have known from the start that he shouldn’t let himself fall deeply once again to someone, but he did. He’s a weakling when it comes to love.

Without his knowledge as he drowns from his own misery, Baekhyun gives Chanyeol a brief look and smiles sadly, a little guilty for what Kyungsoo had become.

That night, before he goes to sleep, he’s not sure whether he’s dreaming or hallucinating when he reads a message from Jongin.

 

 **From:** Jongin

I like you a lot. Please give me a chance to explain whatever is it you’re bothered about. I like you so much I want you to be my boyfriend one day.

 

He erases it, however, dream or reality, the message meets the virtual trash bin.

 

 

-

 

 

Kyungsoo is a little okay. He likes to think that he’s already okay. He just got out of a high rise building at Gangnam for a job interview, his hair down and specs framing his thicking face. He has been stress eating the past few days where Chanyeol brings him to many restaurants and he’s glad that at least, he gets his mind off from a certain someone who has still been bothering him through texts and calls that he never bothered answering.

Baekhyun called him right after his job interview when he’s on his ride back to his apartment. The train is not packed in noon and he’s pleased. Knocking to someone sweaty who isn’t _him_ doesn’t sound exciting at all. Again, he’s thinking about him again, so when Baekhyun calls, he sighs in relief for getting saved by another torment of memories he had with Jongin.

“What?” he asks cheekily while holding on to the pole, steadying himself as the train moves.

“Can we meet? I’m going to treat you.” Baekhyun invites which is uncharacteristic of him to do so. Baekhyun is as cheapskate as Jongdae so he wonders why there’s a sudden invitation of it coming from him.

“Are you sick?” He mocks, cackling. “You? Treating me food?”

He can tell Baekhyun is pouting from the other line. “I’m being nice to you. But you heard me right. I’ll treat you this time. Meet me at your favorite restaurant? Or, meet me at this chicken and beer place that I know?”

_Chicken and beer place…_

Weighing his options because he has already planned to watch some good series his big brother recommended to him, the sound of food sounds more inviting, so he doesn’t prolong his decision as he says a yes.

“Text me the address and I’ll be there.”

 

 

-

 

 

His instinct was right. It’s the chicken and beer place he went to before with Jongin and he’s sitting a table away from where exactly he could remember he and Jongin had their meal.

He wants to leave the place, but he can’t as well. Baekhyun already ordered for him and he can’t just leave it to waste, so he settles on the cushioned seat, easing himself.

“You okay?” Baekhyun asks in mild concern and Kyungsoo casts his gaze at the table where he can perfectly see the picture of Jongin feeding him carefully and smiling and laughing at him the entire period they were eating.                                                                                   

With Baekhyun flicking his fingers to snap him out from his reverie, Kyungsoo flinches and directs his attention back to Baekhyun who sighs in exasperation.

“This is my fault, Soo.”

Kyungsoo leans a little forward, brows perking up. “What?” He wiped the spoon and fork with tissues first before starting to eat. He’s hungry anyway. His energy got depleted after two hours of nervous breakdown and squeezing his brain to answer the questions thrown to him for the job opportunity.

“Eat first,” Baekhyun’s eyes turn into slits as he smiles, but Kyungsoo is not stupid to detect that something is up. Yet, he eats first, normally, unlike what he had become eating in front of Jongin a month ago.

Baekhyun breaks the silence with stories about the gym. Like how Jongdae and Sehun are competing to who has the biggest biceps between them, then Sehun surprisingly clinging to Chanyeol the past few days and Chanyeol being Chanyeol who laughs like a seal whenever Baekhyun cracks up gym jokes and Baekhyun having a crush on a certain trainer in the gym, a Chinese descent named Yifan.

In fact, hearing Baekhyun tell stories about their gym escapades makes Kyungsoo a little uncomfortable. It’s the place where he and Jongin usually interact. It’s a place of several memories with him and Kyungsoo has his tongue itching to ask for Jongin’s well-being despite the night he called the man asshole and said mean things about him.

He still cares.

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun’s tone changes from gleeful to something hesitant and careful it makes Kyungsoo’s heart speed up as he got a feeling that Baekhyun is going to spill something important.

Baekhyun stares at him in the eyes intently and says, “Listen to me carefully…”

Kyungsoo can feel his heart jump to his throat. “S-Sure, go ahead.”

His friend pinches his nose for the briefest of second and looks at him straight to the eyes again, unwavering this time. “Jongin didn’t lie to you. The truth is…”

And Kyungsoo almost bolts away from the restaurant, but his heart is nowhere to be found in his chest anymore, figuratively from the words Baekhyun had said.

 

 

-

 

 

Pacing back and forth in his room, Kyungsoo re-dials Jongin’s number again and again. He keeps texting him, but he doesn’t receive a reply anymore. If Jongin wants to give up on him, not like this, he better talk to him this instant for a closure, and if that’s the case, Kyungsoo would rather receive a rejection in his face rather than getting ignored through texts and calls.

 

Grabbing his cap and petting Yoochoo after, he rushes out of his apartment, phone still sticking to his ear as Jongin’s phone only rings.

Kyungsoo wants to cry out of shame and he wants to strangle himself for wasting weeks of ignoring Jongin when instead he could have used the days to take advantage of him and kiss him dearly and straight out tell him how he’s fucking in love with him.

Everyone can judge him for falling in love that easily, but he’s human who only yearns and craves for someone’s attention and Jongin gave him all that that he can’t really blame the guy for making him fall in love with him.

Just to reiterate, Kyungsoo is weak to human affection.

“Answer it, please.” He pleads to his phone that only rings. Keeping his phone in his pocket, he uses his bicycle again after many weeks of abandoning it to walk to the gym instead.

Cycling as fast as he could towards the building, he leaves his bicycle soon and asks for the security guard to keep an eye for his bicycle. He runs inside and takes the stairs, running up to the gym where he prays where Jongin is when suddenly, his phone rings and he answers the call.

“Chanyeol! I’m climbing up the stairs!”

_“Kyungsoo, go back down! Jongin isn’t here!”_

He takes a halt from running. His chest heaving and his shirt dampens from sweat.                                                                                                                                

_“What?”_

_“Let me talk to Kyungsoo,” he hears Baekhyun say._

_“Okay.”_

_“Hello, Soo?”_

“Baekhyun, what on earth is happening? Jongin won’t answer my calls and texts too!”

 _“Leave the building instant! Go to the subway to Busan! Jongin is leaving today!”_ Baekhyun informs in paranoia, voice rising in higher a octave it hurts Kyungsoo’s ear, but he cares less in this situation.

“What?” Kyungsoo climbs down a flight of stairs once again. “How did you know about this?”

“ _The receptionist! She said Jongin was here earlier than usual to say goodbye and--”_ Baekhyun trails off as Kyungsoo dashes out of the building and pulling out the phone from his ear briefly, “Ahjussi! I’ll leave my bicycle here first! It’s urgent! Thank you!” He bounds to the east side and hails a cab.

“And what Baekhyun?”

A cab pulls up before him and he gets on the back seat, slamming the door quick and mumbling, ‘subway please’, before turning back to Baekhyun.

 _“Did you hear what I just said?”_ Baekhyun sighs and Kyungsoo nibbles on his lip anxiously.

“I didn’t catch it, what is it again?”

 _“Figures.”_ Baekhyun breathes. _“The receptionist said, “Tell Kyungsoo’s friends I lost my phone in case Kyungsoo texts or calls me” and there, I relay the message to you, so calm the fuck down if he doesn’t answer you and Soo,”_ Baekhyun calmly continues, _“Jongin is worth a shot. Claim him to be yours. You deserve to be happy my softest Kyungsoo.”_

Tears threaten to fall from Kyungsoo’s eyes not just from the truth that Jongin lost his phone, when he thought, Jongin has given up on him already and ignores him, but also from the fact that Jongin is leaving the town and that he has amazing friends to cherish who are always there to give him a helping hand at any time of the day.

Kyungsoo finally musters all the courage and perseverance he got to make himself happy this time which he deserves after countless of heartbreaks.

 

 

-

 

 

Kyungsoo’s breath stops. The world stills. The clock halts.

The subway isn’t crowded, but the train to Busan has finally left once Kyungsoo arrives. He doesn’t know what to do, cry, laugh, he’s not certain on what to do next as he stares at the moving train in front of him.

He’s sitting on the long bench with a sombre face, clutching on his phone that he can’t use because Jongin lost his phone. His phone is useless to use. Kyungsoo wants to jump on the railroad, but he’s not suicidal despite his sorry self.

When his phone vibrates and he sees Chanyeol calling, he answers it dourly.

“He’s not here.” He sniffles, but no, he’s not going to spill a tear.

 _“I’m sorry, Soo. But maybe, this is what is supposed to happen.”_ Chanyeol sounds apologetic on the other line. He can also hear his other friends ask what happened and Chanyeol tells them Jongin has finally left to Busan.

Kyungsoo feels sick. He gets up and his knees feel weak. “I ignored him for weeks because of a misunderstanding. I feel like shit, Yeol.”

 _“Do you want sushi?”_ Chanyeol tries to lift up the mood. Kyungsoo, on the other hand, drags himself out of the subway gloomily.

“I have to turn down the offer for now,” Kyungsoo says weakly. “I’m heading home for now to sleep, maybe.”

The sun is at its highest peak as he leaves the subway and Chanyeol’s comforting words become a blur to him, though he’s still on the phone. Moments after, Kyungsoo says his goodbye and that he’d just message Chanyeol if he needs comfort food or just plain company to get through the day.

Kyungsoo’s armpits dampen, but he cares less. There’s a damp on his chest and on his back as he walks under the scorching sun taking the long way home while reminiscing the only day he gets to call a date with Jongin.

Missing Jongin too much, he stops by the chicken and beer place to take out some chicken wings Jongin heartily ate back then. He thinks maybe if he eats the same food Jongin loves, he’d feel like the elder is with him too, as pathetic as it might sound.

Jongin will always be his summer.

Gripping the plastic bag as he climbs the stairs up to his apartment, he thinks about the things he’d like to do for the day. Watching movies doesn’t sound appealing, sleeping, he thinks, isn’t too, as he can tell he’ll just end up thinking about Jongin more, yearning and longing for him. In the end, he can’t think of anything productive to do.

His phone rings. He’s only a few steps away to his floor when he stares at the unknown number calling him.

He likes to think it’s Jongin, but he doesn’t want to get his hopes up again, so to answer his curiosity, he accepts the call.

“Hello?”

A voice of a female greets instead.

There’s a sinking feeling in his stomach.

_“Is this Mr. Do Kyungsoo?”_

Kyungsoo rubs the side of his lips with his pinky and hums in response. “Yes, this is Do Kyungsoo.”

_“Mr. Do, this is HighKey Publishing Company and I’m happy to tell you that we consider your application for the Assistant Editor position and we would like to schedule you on Tuesday for the job offer and contract signing. We’ll we be able to expect your attendance on Monday, Mr. Do?”_

Kyungsoo can’t believe what he’s hearing. He’s finally employed and whether it’s a dream of not, Jongin is standing before him, holding his luggage with the same surprised look on his face.

_“Mr. Do? Mr. Do? Are you still there?”_

Kyungsoo quickly replies, “Y-Yeah. I’m still here. Monday, yes? Just tell me the details. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

His gaze is still intact with Jongin’s.

The call ends and Kyungsoo boldly climbs the steps until Jongin pulls him close to him and loops his arms around his waist and leans in.

Jongin is about to sweep him for a kiss, but Kyungsoo's fast reflex defeats him to it as he punches Jongin's exposed arm, then starts voicing out his bottled emotions and thoughts to him finally, face to face.

"How dare you not tell me the truth on text or even on call?! How dare you torture ourselves just because of that little misunderstanding?" Kyungsoo lets out a strangled whine then starts slapping Jongin's hard chest, pouting. "I was so cruel to you. I compared you to my past flings. I thought you were like them. I thought, I thought--" he's on the verge of crying, but Jongin pulls him close for a tight embrace, and automatically he rests his head on where Jongin's heart is beating and allows the man to hold him without him holding him back.

"I want to tell it to you personally until Baekhyun and your friends talked to me, Kyungsoo, so I told them the truth and I didn't know Baekhyun would beat me first to tell you." Jongin explains, his warmth brings Kyungsoo's body at ease. "And today, I was supposed to leave. I have to leave but I can't leave without telling you the truth."

Kyungsoo pulls away from the hug, but Jongin's arms are still circled around his waist, trapping him and never letting him go. If this was a different situation without the drama, Kyungsoo would be squealing internally from the close proximity he have ever had with Jongin.

Peering up through his long lashes and holding onto Jongin's forearms to stabilize himself, he asks, "So you're still leaving? If I didn't get here sooner, you'd really leave? Don't you know that I came from the subway to stop you from going? When I didn't saw you there I felt like crying, I felt bad, Jongin ahjussi." Ahjussi word is his way of teasing the other, but he dares say it in hopes to alleviate the heavy atmosphere and to keep himself away from awkwardness. "How dare you ahjussi playing with my heart and then I'd see you here? But you'll leave either way I came early or too late here? And now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, you'd leave? I like you, ahjussi! So much! I'm fragile when it comes to human affection even if I can be an asshole to my friends but I love my friends and I think I love you now too. You're still hurting me, but I hurt you too and I feel bad, but you're leaving and--" he lowers his voice and his head. "You don't like me. I know you don't because I'm an awkward kid around you and--"

A chuckle cuts his dramatic monologue and as he lifts his head up, Jongin laughs a tad too long. His face turns scarlet up to the tip of his ears and a there's a sudden feeling of embarrassment as he watches Jongin's eyes crinkle up to tiny beautiful crescent moons and inviting lips gracing up in a brightest smile that makes his legs go jelly.

“No,” he shakes his head vehemently. “I’m not leaving anymore. But, hey, I told you before didn’t I?” Jongin’s smile is hypnotizing, too beautiful, too precious. But Kyungsoo snaps out from his thoughts and his eyes rounded.

“Told what?” Kyungsoo cocks his head to the side in wonder and he really can’t remember anything important that Jongin has said to him.

“I messaged you before that I like you.” Jongin whines, thick lips forming a pout and Kyungsoo can’t help but pout too.

_I like you a lot. Please give me a chance to explain whatever is it you’re bothered about. I like you so much I want you to be my boyfriend one day._

His eyes flutter consecutively, bewildered. “That was not a dream?”

“You thought it was a dream?” Jongin is in disbelief.

“I was d-drunk. I thought--so you like me? Like do you want me to be your baby?” There’s a semblance of a teasing smile on Kyungsoo’s hips and his heart flutters from the indication of Jongin reciprocating his feelings back.

Jongin nods fast without hesitation, without beating around the bush and settles his hands on Kyungsoo’s narrow shoulders. “Yes. So, be my boyfriend?” He intently asks with utmost seriousness and Kyungsoo’s breath hitches from the sudden turn of events. He stills and stares unblinkingly at Jongin’s inquisitive stare.

Again, Kyungsoo might be desperate for love, but he wants to torture Jongin first, but not too long, because one of these days, he’ll surely tell him his yes and be his official boyfriend at last. But before it happens, Kyungsoo crosses his arms and raises a brow.

“Too bad, ahjussi needs to get punished first.”

Kyungsoo flashes a vicious smile when he sees Jongin’s Adam’s apple bob in agitation.

“W-Won’t you kiss me now that I told you that I like you and now that I won’t leave Ilsan anymore?” Jongin queries in a heartbeat and Kyungsoo’s lips thin, licking it to calm his thundering heart against his chest. His eyes move back and forth at Jongin’s apprehensive eyes and tempting luscious-looking lips.

“I want to kiss you,” Jongin leans in, but with fast reflex, as much Kyungsoo wants to rub his lips with this beautiful, handsome, and everything nice man before him as Jongin grabs his waist, targeting his lips, Kyungsoo cackles derisively and pushes Jongin’s lips with his forefinger.

“Na-ah. Not yet, bid daddy, we just fixed our mess and you gotta prove to me how much you want me.”

Jongin whimpers in agony and it’s the funniest and cutest thing Jongin has ever done in the duration of their friendly but flirty relationship.

Guess, this will be a torture for Kyungsoo too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Epilogue**

“Kyungsoo!” Someone waves, holding a cup of strawberry milkshake and he graces a smile as he walk towards his now top favorite person in the whole world. He just clocked out from work and the stress he had hours ago has finally dissipated. Thanks to this man who brings joy and pleasure to his life these past few days.

“H-Hyung,” he rubs the back of his ear, a habit he does when shy before sitting next to his boyfriend for coming late. “Sorry, I’m late.” He pushes up his round classes up to his nose and sniffs cutely.

“Don’t sweat it. Hard time at work?”

“A little. But I’m good now, because I’m with you. Cheesy me.” He gets a kiss on his head and a smile that he really loves. He’s still the same Kyungsoo who is sassy and brash during phone calls and texts, but shy when he’s with his boyfriend. But that toned down a little and he’s bolder now.

Kyungsoo leans to his boyfriend and kisses his cheek three times. Being with Jongin made his clingy nature worse, but Jongin would cling back to him and it’s better than how he imagined them to be.

“You look good,” Jongin says. “Are you ready to meet my brother?”

“Do you think he’ll like me?” Kyungsoo bites his nail, but Jongin just rubs his back soothingly and nods.

“He will.”

Jongin’s phone rings, but he doesn’t answer the call.

“W-Why didn’t you answer it? Maybe that’s your brother, Jongin.” Kyungsoo slightly scolds, a blush creeping on his cheeks when Jongin just ruffles his hair and kisses his forehead.

“Relax, that’s his signal that he’s near. Want to buy some cake first?”

“Carrot cake, oreo cheesecake and one cup of Americano please,” Kyungsoo is still a self-proclaimed food monster. He loves eating, don’t blame him and Jongin loves feeding him a lot and when you say a lot, sometimes he pampers him with something bigger that miraculously fits his mouth. Kyungsoo loves being spoiled by his elder boyfriend.

So as their order arrives, Kyungsoo indulges himself with sweet treats laid in front of him. He ate heartily, crumbs dotting his pinkish lips that Jongin thumbs away and steals a kiss when he feels like it leaving Kyungsoo look like a tomato.

“Aigoo, my baby is so messy.”

The glass doors open. The tinkling sound from the bell indicates that someone has stepped inside.

“Bro!” Jongin gets up from his seat, waving at the guy who just stepped in the shop, wearing a white buttoned shirt, fitted black slacks and dark aviator sunglasses. The man who looks like a supermodel saunters towards their table, lips lifting into a smug smirk

Kyungsoo’s ogles when the man pulls up his glasses to greet him. He really looks like Jongin. Very identical. Warm brown eyes same as Jongin’s glued at his. The same replica of Jongin stands before him. The twin brothers share a hug momentarily and it’s apparent in Jongin’s eyes how ecstatic he is to see his brother again.

“Bro, meet my boyfriend I’ve been telling you about, Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo, meet my brother, Kai.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Kai hyung.” Kyungsoo smiles bashfully, but pleased to meet him after all the drama he had with Jongin before.

“Pleased to meet you too, Kyungsoo.” Kai grins, grabs his hand for a handshake and smiles meekly.

Kyungsoo looks at Jongin then back at his brother and smiles knowingly.

Jongin mumbles something that doesn’t register in Kyungsoo’s head as he watches the two intently. They really are identical, except for the intimidating aura Kai exudes and warmth radiating from Jongin.

A second later, Kai sits across them and gazes at him in scrutiny, like reading him, looking for a flaw or whatever he’s trying to pick from Kyungsoo’s stature. A little conscious, Kyungsoo drops his gaze at his empty plates until Kai speaks. He can see through his periphery that the other elder guy leans forward on the table. He looks up to meet Kai’s gaze as he sips on his cup of Americano elegantly.

“Wait,” A pause. He meets Kai’s inspecting eyes where his brows slightly furrow and head tilting slightly to the side as if trying to remember something that has long been buried deep in his memory box. “I have always wondered about this when I first saw your photo. Now that we met personally...” he trails off.

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and hums. “Yes? What is it?”

“That he’s cute?” Jongin supplies and kisses Kyungsoo’s temple, hand squeezing his affectionately and Kyungsoo returns the gesture fondly.

“He is.” Kai acquiesces and waves dismissively after.

“Thanks,” Kyungsoo smiles proudly and continues to sip on his drink, blinking at Kai. “I get that a lot.”

Kai cackles and nods in agreement. His brows furrow again as he leans closer. “But Kyungsoo,” he starts, voice thick in interest,  “have we met in a supermarket before?”


End file.
